


Whispers in My Ear

by Abbyromana



Category: Batgirl (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics), Robin (Comics)
Genre: Dating, F/M, Manipulation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:48:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25157266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Abbyromana/pseuds/Abbyromana
Summary: Tim goes out on a date with Stephanie on the suggestion of Dick and Barbara, but more is going on than Tim knows.
Relationships: Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson, Stephanie Brown/Tim Drake
Comments: 3
Kudos: 21





	Whispers in My Ear

**Author's Note:**

> I'm in the process of deleting my LJ account, so I'm transfering my writings over. Please forgive me for any rough bits of work. I will be updating these and others as soon as I am done. Thank you for your patience

Leaning into the cufflink on his right wrist, Tim whispered, “This is utterly ridiculous.”

There was crackle in his ear, before Dick’s voice broke over the earpiece, “No. This is good. Trust us!”

The “us” referred to Dick and Barbara. They had first talked him to this whole, uncomfortable situation. It was their mad idea for him to go out on this date to the second most expensive restaurant in town. Both said it needed to be fancy, to be romantic. Dick said he had to bring a box of chocolates that were way over-priced as well as buy a bottle of this specific sweet wine.

Of course, Tim had to admit he was partially to blame. He had asked them for advice on how to deal with his first official date with Stephanie as themselves, no masks or capes. True, they had dated when he was still Robin and she was Spoiler. But they’d been kids and most of those dates ended with a quick change into their alter-egos. Then of course, there was the two and a half year gap where they hadn’t been dating, only the occasional flirting while in uniform.

Now, he was twenty-one. They’d reconnected after the bizarre incident that involved Scarecrow’s fear gas, a very long 24 hours spent inside of a bank fault, and a graphic conversation with the Red Hood that he wished he could forget. Now, he and Stephanie were publicly dating. That’s when he started feeling tongue-tied around Stephanie Brown.

As Red Robin, it was no problem to spend entire nights with Batgirl, fighting super villains, taking down crime bosses, etc. However, ask him to hunker-down with Stephanie for a movie or a lunch just as Tim Wayne, he felt fifteen again. That’s why he sought out Dick for help during one patrol. Barbara had overheard, and well, that’s how he ended up here.

Tim’s breath caught in his throat when he heard a familiar, upbeat voice ask, “…Stephanie Brown. I’m looking for Timothy Wayne’s table.”

Tim’s shoulder went stiff. A shiver of panic raced across his skin. His head snapped in the direction of the voice.In an instant, his mouth fell open and his eyes widened.

He knew she’d be dressed up for the restaurant, but he hadn’t imagined how stunning she’d look. With golden curls flowing over her shoulders, she wore a heart-fluttering smile. His eyes glided over her strapless and sleek purple gown that hugged her in all the right places. Eggplant, he corrected himself as he just blinked at her approaching form.

Her smile reached her sparkling blue eyes. They were framed by the waves of golden strands. She kept her hair down tonight. He liked that a lot. Even as she reached the table, he could do nothing but just stare at her, grinning like a fool.

“Hello, Tim,” she said simply. Pausing briefly, her gaze slid down his tuxedo form. One hand, which was accented by a glittering and gold bracelet, brushed back a few blonde curls as she said softly, “Wow! You look… look amazing!”

“You too,” he said in a dreamy voice.

Seconds ticked by as they just looked at one another. As Stephanie’s smile started to fade, Tim heard Dick hiss, “Help her with her seat, Idiot!” That snapped Tim back to reality.

Jumping to his feet, Tim stumbled over his words as he pulled out her chair. “Oh… sorry. Hi! Here… Let me.” Warmth flooded his face, but Stephanie only silently laughed as she took her seat.

“Tell her she looks gorgeous,” said Dick over the earpiece.

“Gorgeous. I mean you look gorgeous,” Tim corrected himself, before taking his seat across from Stephanie.

That brought a new smile to her lips. “Thank you.” Her gaze dipped as her right hand returned to her hair, seeming to play with it as the other turned over her menu. There was a very focused and nervous look on her face.

The earpiece crackled, and Dick said, “Make small talk.”

Flashing a grin at her, Tim lifted his menu and whispered into his right cufflink, “Like what?”

Dick’s heavy sigh filled Tim’s ear. “Talk to her about school. Ask her about her classes… work.”

“Right,” Tim said softly. Partially lowering his menu, he asked as casually, “How’s school?”

Much to his surprise, Stephanie was looking angrily at her bracelet. However, once he spoke, her gaze snapped to him and she blushed. She immediately straightened up and beamed at him “Ah. Sorry, what was that?”

“Well, I was wondering about university,” he said, contemplating her earlier expression, “but… um… is something wrong? With your bracelet or something?”

“Nope,” she said abruptly, quickly slipping her hands underneath the table. “Just fine.” There was an awkward pause. “The same with school. Barbara keeps me on my toes… as usual” Her tone seemed nervous and just a tad irritated as she flashed him yet another broad smile.

Another pause filled the moment as Stephanie’s eyes looked around as if wanting to look at anything but him.

Panic bit at the pit of Tim’s stomach. He was worried that she wasn’t enjoying the date so far. He feared messing up their first actual date. “This is wrong,” he whispered into his cufflink.

“No!” Dick said forcefully. There was a sigh. “Look. This is perfect. Perfectly ideal! The kind of date any perfectly gorgeous woman out with the man who crushed on her sense she was in yellow Go-Go boats would want.”

Tim’s brow furrowed. “Excuse me? Go-go boots?”

There was a pause, but no reply. Rather, as he felt his throat grow dry, he noticed Stephanie reach across the table to the bottle of wine.

Coughing, Tim spoke up. “I thought you might like it. It’s a sweet Parisian wine… recommended…”

With a wrinkled nose, Stephanie bluntly said. “Not really a wine person.” Then, she abruptly cringed as if someone had just yelled at her. She blinked, and then, a bright smile filled her face. “I mean, thank you. It will be great to try. I’m sure… it will be my favorite.”

Tim’s brow furrowed as he watched her pull her hand back to her own partially filled glass of wine. He found himself just watching her slow, purposeful actions. When her nose wrinkled at the taste of the wine, something started to itch at the back of Tim’s brain.

Another crackle sounded in his ear as Dick told him, “You really are hopeless, Little Brother. Give her the chocolates. They go perfect with the wine. Sweets for my Sweetie!”

Remembering the small square box, he pulled it out from under his napkin. “Oh, I got you these too.” As he passed them over, he glanced at the label, because he hadn’t really looked at them. He just went with what Dick had recommended yet again. “They are… Parisian too. They should go… go perfect with the wine.” He nervously laughed. “Sweets for my… uh… sweetie…”

Tim mentally cringed at repeating Dick’s words, but he couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“That’s so thoughtful of you, Hunk Wonder,” she said, accepting the box of chocolates. Her brow furrowed as she brushed her hair behind the same ear again.

Tim’s brow furrowed again. “What did you call me?”

Before Stephanie could reply, Dick interrupted him again. “Tell her that you also picked this restaurant for her, because you know it’s her favorite. It has that sinfully delicious chocolate cake that she always talks about…”

“What?” openly asked Tim. He didn’t repeat his brother’s words.

Still, a moment later, Stephanie replied, “Yes. I remember… that night.”

Tim’s full attention snapped to Stephanie. “Excuse me? What night? What are you talking about?”

She blinked at him, seeming confused by his questions. “What? Sorry? Um…” Yet again, her hand went to her right ear, playing with her hair.

As it came down, Tim snapped out and grabbed it. “What’s going on, Steph?” Tim asked.

Stephanie stammered to reply as she nibbled on her lower lip.

As he cocked his head to the side, waiting for a response, he noticed an earpiece in her right ear. “Are… are you listening to…talking with someone?”

There was a fearful, hesitant look in her eyes as she dipped her head. Then, she looked up quickly and started to speak in a rush. “I’m so sorry, Tim. It isn’t what you think it is. I mean, at least what I think you think it is. It’s so complicated and… and…” She sighed, pulling her hand from his. For a moment, she just covered her face, muttering to herself.

Tim held his tongue, letting her continue.

“You asked me out… here. You’ve never asked me out to a place like this, not unless it was for some undercover thing. And I guess that I got butterflies in my stomach, feeling of being spun around roller coaster too fast, nerves before a final exam sick.”

Tim’s lips parted to speak, but she beat him to the punch.

Leaning forward, she rested her arms on the table and admitted to him, “I’ve never eaten at a place like this. I couldn’t dream to afford something like this. But clearly, you like it, and well, that’s important to me. I mean, you are important to me. And with us just starting over, I don’t know, I felt… overwhelmed. That’d I would screw it up again. If I didn’t…”

Tim just gapped for a moment. “How could you think you ever could do anything to…?”

Stephanie raised an eyebrow as if to silently ask him if he was serious. Starting with one finger, she began, “Brick in the face, kidnapped twice, started a gang war, agreed to help Bruce to make you a better Robin…”

Tim waved off her list mode. “Okay. Point taken, but…. you and I, we’re different now. We’ve learned… we’ve grown. I…” Then he paused in mid-sentence. “Wait. Who were talking to you?”

“Barbara,” Stephanie said with a defeated tone. “In fact, it was her idea. And…”

A wave of shock completely replaced Tim’s earlier discomfort. “Are you saying you have Barbara in your ear… right now? At the same time that I have Dick in mine?”

“Whoa! What? You have an earpiece too?” asked Stephanie, gapping just like him. She squinted, cocking her head as if to see his earpiece.

Lifting his cufflink, Tim declared, “What is this? I thought you said you were trying to help me out. Were you even trying…?”

A scoff from Stephanie cut his rant off. He looked over to see her talking into her bracelet. “Or are you just acting out your own sick, romantic fantasy through us?”

“You were thinking it too?” questioningly said Tim.

Stephanie rolled her eyes, pulling her earpiece out of her ear.

Then over his own earpiece, Tim heard the worst impersonation of static from Dick before dead silence. With that, Tim pulled his earpiece out of his ear. As Tim tossed his earpiece into his glass of wine, he saw Stephanie do the same.

Stephanie slouched back in her seat and fumed. He couldn’t blame her. Then after a moment, she blew out breath of a chuckle “Some advice, huh?”

“Tell me about it,” Tim grumbled, crossing his arms. “Maybe we should just go? I honestly, don’t want to be here anymore than you.”

“Hmm… maybe to Rena’s for her delicious shakes,” Stephanie suggested.

“Deliciously thick, chocolaty shakes,” said Tim. An interested grin curved his lips.

“With a cherry on top,” added Stephanie with a wink.

Tim’s eyebrows snapped up his forehead.

Stephanie gave a shrug. “Well, we are dressed up. Might as well make our food a bit fancier.”

That got a small chuckle out of Tim.

An alto toned voice interrupted their conversation. “Pardon, Madame and Misère, but have you come to a decision?”

Tim looked up at the tall, tuxedo dressed waiter, before looking at Stephanie with a questioningly look.

“Only if you have delicious thick, chocolate shakes with cherries on top to go with those juicy, three hundred dollar steaks,” Stephanie told him with a knowing smile.

The waiter balked at her suggestion, just blinking. “Madame! Really?!”

Tim just leaned on his right wrist. His smile quickly consumed his face as he shook his head. A happy sigh fell from his lips. “Steph, you are one of a kind. God, I forgot how much I love you.”

Stephanie winked. “Love you too, Sweetie.”


End file.
